Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum Partners with Local Topanga Businesses to Pilot New Weekend Shakespeare Retreat

Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum will launch its new Weekend Shakespeare Retreat Friday, March 23rd through Sunday, March 25th on their 9-acre outdoor campus and 299-seat amphitheater nestled in the Santa Monica Mountain Range town of Topanga, California. Throughout the weekend, Theatricum will provide classical theatre workshops for participants taught by professional instructors and international leaders in various techniques related to bringing Shakespeare to life. Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy special discounts from local Topanga's unique business community including bed and breakfasts, restaurants, and retail vendors.

Performance technique workshops will include:

• Shakespeare's Language: engage with techniques used by professional actors to clarify and decode Shakespeare's dramatic poetry
• Voice and Speech: learn the secrets performers have used for centuries to fully utilize the spoken poetry of Shakespeare
• Elizabethan Dance: participate in authentic dances from the 16th century
• Fencing: experiment with realistic stage-combat and sword-fighting techniques
• Exploring Shakespeare's Text: work on performing monologues and sonnets hand selected for each participant
• Shakespeare's history and Elizabethan Life: What is Shakespeare's story? When did he live and how did this impact his plays?

The renowned experts who will be participating in Theatricum's Weekend Shakespeare Retreat include:

• Ellen Geer - Artistic Director of Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum and founding member of the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre. Ms. Geer has over 55 years experience acting, directing, and mentoring performers.
• Paul Edmundson - Head of Research and Knowledge and Director of the Stratford-upon-Avon Poetry festival for the Shakespeare Birthplace trust, this international Shakespeare expert will engage participants in an investigation of Shakespeare's life and times.

The program will begin with an orientation from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday the 23rd, and the workshops will take place over the weekend. The program is designed for ages 18 and up. There is a $500 enrollment fee for participants. To make it a true retreat, participants are encouraged to stay in Topanga, and will be given discounts throughout the weekend at local businesses in the community including: Canyon Gourmet, Topanga Gallery, Topanga Table, Inn at the 7th Ray and The Mountain Mermaid.

Due to the immersive nature of the program, spots for enrollment are limited. For more information, or to reserve your spot, please contact Sarah Stone at theatricumadult@gmail.com or call (310) 455-2322.

Theatricum Botanicum has been offering educational opportunities to learners of all ages since its inception in 1978, and a commitment to life-long learning has always been at the core of the theater's mission. With ongoing private classes for youth, teens, and adults, Theatricum's Academy of the Classics offers inspiring, intensive training for novice and professional performers with a focus on language, collaboration and building confidence.

Theatricum Botanicum is Los Angeles' longest-running Equity theatre company, programming seasons at its outdoor, 299-seat amphitheater for over 40 years. In addition to presenting and producing a full season of both classical and new works, Theatricum also hosts readings, dance presentations, and concerts throughout the year. Theatricum's sustained commitment is to make Shakespeare and a wide range of arts education programs available and affordable to the broadest possible constituency, and is a state and city leader in programming that spans generations and demographic groups across southern California.

More information on other programs and events hosted by Theatricum Botanicum can be found at www.Theatricum.com.

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